Is It Possible That Donald Trump Can't Read? David Pakman Presents Some Compelling Evidence
There's a rumor going around that Donald Trump can't read and if that proves to be true then maybe it’s time to start worrying. It's common knowledge that the President likes to watch TV, staying up late to ingest news that he can later get angry about on Twitter. But, unlike his predecessor Barack Obama, it's not thought that Trump's much of a bookworm. Worse than that, some people are saying he can't even read that well.
That's the subject of a recent video on Youtube, and a recent article for the Huffington Post, by David Pakman from The David Pakman Show. In the video Pakman uses a variety of sources to look at the evidence that Trump can't read - from his advisors saying how he refuses to read reports that are too lengthy, to the fact that many people have said they've never seen him read a book. There's even a clip of comedian Pete Davidson saying that when Trump hosted SNL he had trouble reading the teleprompter.
There's also New Yorker interview with Tony Schwartz from last year. The author who ghost wrote Donald Trump's bestselling The Art of the Deal, says that the president has a very short attention span and that in the 18 months he spent with him, he never saw him pick up a book. Proof that Trump can't read, or he just doesn't like reading?
"That’s why he so prefers TV as his first news source—information comes in easily digestible sound bites.” Schwartz says, “I seriously doubt that Trump has ever read a book straight through in his adult life.”
The Evidence Behind Why Trump Can't Read
One book however that Trump has said he's read cover-to-cover, which he says is his favorite, is All Quiet on the Western Front. When he was discussing this in May 2016 with Megyn Kelly from Fox News, she asked him to name a more recent book he's read that he's enjoyed. “I read passages, I read areas, I’ll read chapters—I don’t have the time.” he replied.
So if he doesn't read books, what does he read? Well, he consumes newspapers but that seems to be where it stops when it comes to the printed page. Axios says that even when it comes to reading reports he like keeping it to one page. "He's not a book guy: In fact, some advisers say they don't recall seeing him read one or even talking about one beyond his own, 'The Art of the Deal.'" says the site. "And, as he told us, he's not one for long reports or detailed briefings. One page usually suffices. Bullet points are even better. But he does consume — often in huge doses — lots of traditional media."
Pakman isn't the first person to pick up on Trump's apparent lack of interest in reading. Comedian Samantha Bee also touched on the subject last October in her show, featuring many of the clips Pakman uses, one of which shows him saying he doesn't have his glasses so he couldn't read legal documents at his deposition.
You can check out Samantha Bee's video below and then make up your own mind about whether you think the president can read or not. If his recent signing of the executive orders is anything to go by it's a bit of a worry.